Will Lions New Offensive Coordinator Make Jared Goff a Star Again?

Former Cal quarterback says he is more involved in the offensive decision-making under Ben Johnson

Former Cal quarterback Jared was not very productive when Anthony Lynn, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator last season, was calling the plays. But Goff's play improved significantly when head coach Dan Campbell took over the play-calling duties midway through the season.

The Lions have a new offensive coordinator in Ben Johnson this season, and Goff seems uplifted by the fact that he will have a say in the offensive planning.

"I think the most exciting part for me was the influence he was allowing me to have, asking me and really curious on what I thought and what I liked, genuinely curious, because it's now a part of what we're doing. So, I know it wasn't fake," Goff said Tuesday. "It's exciting for me, being in Year Seven now, and feeling like I've earned having that voice a little bit that he's given to me, which has been fun."

Here is Goff's entire 10-minute session with the media Tuesday:

Having a significant say in the direction of the offense or of the program in general is important to a quarterback.

It's somewhat similar to the case of another former Cal quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who felt a lot better about the Packers organization when he became more involved with the team's decision on transactions and the like.

For Goff to feel more involved in the process accomplishes two things: The offense figures to be more tailored to plays or subtle changes in plays that he is comfortable with, and his involvement should provide him with added confidence that he is the leader of the Lions' attack.

Johnson, for his part, knows that his success is tied to Goff's success, so it is important for him to make Goff feel comfortable.

“I’ve got a really strong relationship with Jared right now,” Johnson said on June 2, according to USA Today Lions Wire. “One of my top priorities, personally, is to help him have the best season of his career. One thing that we’ve done is included him a lot in what we’re trying to do schematically, and so we spent some time this offseason watching more of the stuff he did a few years ago in LA and how we can incorporate some of that, while also challenging him to take the next step in some areas of improvement for him as a player as well.”

The goal, of course, is to get Goff back to the player he was in 2018, when he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year and led the Rams to a berth in the Super Bowl.  That season ended with Goff's poor showing in the Super Bowl loss, but 11 games into that 2018 season, when he had 26 touchdown passes and six interceptions, Goff was among the top contenders for the NFL MVP award.

That's the Goff the Lions want in 2022, and they think they have a chance to get that guy after Goff threw 11 touchdown passes with two picks over his final six games of 2021, when Detroit went 3-2-1.

"I have no red flags with him," Campbell said Tuesday regarding Goff. "He looks good out there. He's go a good grasp of our offense and what we're doing. And, you know, he's commanding the huddle. He's hrowing the ball well. That's something that I feel he does well. That's one of his strengths. He's a pretty accurate passer.. And so I would say up to this point he's having a good spring.

Campbell talks about Goff 5:25 into this video:

.

Cover photo of Jared Goff by Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK

.

Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsreport